Improvement in closing preserve-cans



T. EARLE.

Fruit-Jar Cover.

No. 41,425. I Patented Feb. 2, 1864.

I V I I II II I I I a I III Witnesses: Inventor AM PHOTO-LITHO- ClL N.Y. (USBQRNE'S PRGCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc-E.

TIMOTHY EARLE, OF VALLEY FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOSING PRESERVE-CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 1. 425. dated February 2, 1864.

T0 at whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY EARLE, of Valley Falls, Smithfield, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Securing the Covers of Preserve-Cans; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawing, making a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Figure 1 represents a fruit-jar with my improved means for securing the cover applied.

The usual means employed for securing the cover of a self-sealing jar upon the vessel has been by a yoke, like that represented at A in the drawings, which is made to ride up the face of inclined planes, either cast upon the projecting rim at the neck of the jar or upon the top of the cover, so that by turning the yoke from left to right the cover will be forcibly held down by the pressure caused ,thereby.

upon it.

The object of my improvement is to dispense with the necessity of making these inclined planes and obtain in a simpler and more economical way a means for securing the cover to the jar quite as efficient as any contrivance in use.

B- represents a fruitjar having a projection, 0, cast upon the neck near the top. This projection may be a plain bead or lip of any form, so long as it furnishes a holding-space for the end of the yoke.

The yoke A has a spindle, E, which passes through it, as shown, provided with awasher or collet, a, to keep the spindle from being drawn through the yoke by the spring, presently to be described. The lower part of the spindle terminates with a shoulder, a, larger in diameter than the body of the spindle. This latter shoulder furnishes the foot, which bears against the top of the cover. Between the under side of the yoke and the shoulder c is wound a spiral spring, the tendency of which is to keep the shoulder a bearing against the upper surface of the yoke where the cover is not secured. Itis obvious that when the cover has been placed in position it can be secured by placing the yoke so that its extremities shall bear against the under side of the lip C, the spring I) being of sufficient length to allow of the desired degreeof pressure to be exerted upon the shoulder c to hold down the cover.

The yoke can be readily removed when it is desired to open the jar, and can be placed in position again in the shortest time.

The degree of pressure of the spring I) to hold down the cover can be increased by the use of a coiled spring of larger wire, or byincreasing its tension by placing several thicknesses of card-board or other material under the shoulder, so that with reference to the fluid to be confined in the jaraforce can easily be obtained sufficient to keep the cover closed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a spring, I), with a yoke, A, for the purpose of securing the cover of a preserve-jar, applied in the manner substantially as described.

TIMOTHY EARLE. 

